Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Palestinians: Humanitarian Aid

Baroness Deech: To ask His Majesty's Government, following reports that perpetrators of the 7 October terrorist attacks on Israel will be financially rewarded via welfare payments funded by the Palestinian Authority, what steps they are taking to ensure that aid coming from the UK does not support any such arrangements.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Following Official Development Assistance (ODA) prioritisation exercises undertaken in March 2021, the UK no longer provides direct financial aid to the Palestinian Authority. All UK support to the Palestinian Authority is provided through technical advice, procured through commercial suppliers. No UK aid is used for payments to Palestinian prisoners, or their families or the Martyrs Fund, nor has it ever been. We continue to deliver a clear and long-standing message to the highest levels of the Palestinian Authority that the prisoner payments system should be reformed so that it is needs-based, transparent and affordable. FCDO officials maintain a regular dialogue with international partners on this issue.

Israel: Gaza

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government whatsteps theyare taking to avert a regional escalation of the hostilities in Israel and Gaza.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Since Hamas' abhorrent terrorist attacks on 7 October, the Prime Minister, the former Foreign Secretary and myself as Minister of State; Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, have all visited the region and spoken to counterparts from more than 20 countries as part of extensive diplomatic efforts to prevent regional escalation and to sustain the prospect of peace and stability in the Middle East. This includes the former Foreign Secretary's travel to the region in October where he met leaders in Egypt, Turkey and Qatar, his calls with counterparts from Jordan, Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Brazil, and Australia and his meetings with regional counterparts in Riyadh on 9 November.The UK is seized with the increasing the scale and delivery of life saving humanitarian aid to Gaza and continues to work with our regional partners on preventing the conflict spreading in the region, and oppose any attempts by malign actors to cause further escalation. As part of our close engagement with Israel, the UK has urged the government to take tangible steps to stop settler violence against Palestinians in the Occupied West Bank, which we strongly condemn. We are also clear that to prevent further conflict and terrorism, there must be a political solution to the conflict: the delivery of a two-state solution which provides justice and security for both Israelis and Palestinians.

Islands: Climate Change

Lord Naseby: To ask His Majesty's Government what (1) economic, and (2) technological support they are providing, alongside the foreign aid budget, to ensure that Small Island States, particularly those that are Commonwealth members, areequipped to deal with any loss or damage that may arise due to sea-level rise.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Small Island Developing States (SIDS) play a leading role on climate action due to their unique moral voice and climate vulnerability. The UK has aimed to drive support on their climate adaptation and mitigation priorities. The SIDS4 conference in May 2024 will be a once-in-a-decade opportunity for transformational action and the UK is working to drive momentum for an ambitious offer on climate action. The UK recognises some SIDS face existential threats from climate change and is committed to ensuring the package of recommendations of the new loss and damage fund and funding arrangements, as developed by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)'s Transitional Committee, is agreed at COP28.

South China Sea: Shipping

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of thecurrent security situation in the South China Sea, following the recent shipping incident between a Chinese and a Philippine vessel in the Spratly Islands; and what steps they are taking to help to defuse tensions and prevent escalation in the area.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK opposes actions which raise tensions and increase the risk of miscalculation in the South China Sea. Minister Trevelyan made the UK's position clear in her speech at the South China Sea conference in Vietnam in October, where she raised the serious risks posed by recent instances of unsafe conduct against Filipino vessels. Senior officials have raised the risks of miscalculation directly with China, and our Ambassador in Manila has raised the UK's objection to the harassment of Filipino vessels around Second Thomas Shoal and reiterated our support for United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The UK will continue to support regional partners through an enhanced programme of maritime capacity building in Southeast Asia which provides training and funding to strengthen regional capacity on maritime law and security.

Hong Kong: Demonstrations

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of China about the punishments given to those who took part in the Hong Kong protest movement of 2019–20, and the continued harassment of protesters and their families.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The right to peaceful protest and freedom of assembly were both promised to Hong Kongers under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and enshrined in the Basic Law. Thousands who were arrested following the protests in 2019-2020 are still awaiting trial. Attempts by the authorities to harass or intimidate individuals or their families for exercising their right to freedom to peaceful protest and assembly is unacceptable. We continue to urge the Hong Kong authorities to provide certainty to those awaiting trial and for China to act in accordance to the international obligations it freely entered into.

Sudan: Armed Conflict

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the total number of (1) deaths, (2) injuries, and (3) displacement of Sudanese people, since the commencement of hostilities between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The United Nations estimate that up to 9000 people have been killed in the conflict in Sudan since April. Over 4.8 million people have been internally displaced in Sudan and over 1.3 million have fled to Sudan.

Islands: Climate Change

Lord Naseby: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to increase the foreign aid budget for Small Island States at risk from climate change; andto make commitments within that budget to combat the effects of sea-level rise.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The PM reaffirmed at COP27 that we are delivering on our commitment to spend £11.6 billion International Climate Finance (ICF), which includes £3 billion for nature. To ensure ICF supports the most vulnerable experiencing the worst impacts of climate change, we will triple our funding for adaptation from £500 million in 2019 to £1.5 billion in 2025, in addition to ensuring a balance between mitigation and adaptation spend. We will ensure continued support to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to improve their climate resilience.

Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

Lord Blencathra: To ask His Majesty's Government what information they have on the amount of overseas aid to Gaza which has been taken or used by Hamas.

Lord Blencathra: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to put an immediate stop to all further overseas aid to Gaza until it is certain that none of it is being taken or used by Hamas.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: There is a robust framework in place for allocating Official Developmental Assistance (ODA) and the UK works with trusted international partners, such as the UN, to ensure strong safeguards against aid diversion are in place. This includes due diligence assessments, audits, spot checks and annual reviews. This comprehensive oversight prevents UK aid from benefitting Hamas.

Attorney General

Domestic Abuse: Transgender People

Baroness Jenkin of Kennington: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the recent statementby the Director of Public Prosecutions, Stephen Parkinson, that the Crown Prosecution Service will be reviewing its domestic abuse guidance following the publication of the Policy Exchange reportThe Crown Prosecution Service’s approach to transgenderism, published on 5 November, what are the timescales for this review; and how will it be reporting.

Lord Stewart of Dirleton: It is important that the public are clear on how the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) will apply the law around domestic abuse so that they can be confident in its approach. As set out by the Director of Public Prosecutions, the CPS has therefore conducted a review of Annex D with a view to recontextualise its purpose and improve clarity.The revised guidance will be published by the end of this year on the CPS website.

Cabinet Office

Surveillance: China

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Procurement Act 2023 obliges police forces to removeChinese-made surveillance equipment from sensitive sites.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Procurement Act 2023 does not oblige police forces to remove Chinese-made surveillance equipment from their estate. The government has committed to remove from sensitive government sites all surveillance equipment subject to the National Intelligence Law of the People’s Republic of China. This commitment does not extend to the wider public sector. However, public sector organisations, including police forces, may choose to mirror the action and I understand some have already done so.

Census: Transgender People

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the 2021 census, (1) how were the cisgender and transgender individuals who took part in ONS qualitative research on gender identity conducted in 2017 selected; (2) what percentage of transgender individuals participated in the (a) 2019 census rehearsal and (b) 2021 census; (3) which local authority areas were chosen for the rehearsal; and (4) what assessment they have made of census data relating to high levels of trans-identified individuals in areas of England and Wales with high minority ethnic populations.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority. The Baroness HoeyHouse of LordsLondonSW1A 0PW14 November 2023Dear Baroness Hoey, As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking (1) how the cisgender and transgender individuals who took part in Office for National Statistics (ONS) qualitative research on gender identity, conducted in 2017, were selected; (2) what percentage of transgender individuals participated in the (a) 2019 census rehearsal and (b) 2021 census; (3) which local authority areas were chosen for the rehearsal; and (4) what assessment has been made of census data relating to high levels of trans-identified individuals in areas of England and Wales with high minority ethnic populations (HL38). Census 2021 was the first census in England and Wales to collect data on people's gender identity. The census asked a voluntary question on gender identity of people aged 16 and over and this data was first published in January 2023. On 8 November 2023, the ONS published an article titled ‘Quality of Census 2021 gender identity data’ [1]. This is the result of its investigation into the quality of census gender identity data after some unexpected patterns were identified. It included looking at patterns of trans identification by ethnic group, country of birth and proficiency in English. These patterns can offer some insight into the last aspect of your question relating to the level of trans-identified individuals in England and Wales with high minority ethnic populations. Gender identity question developmentAs with all census questions, the gender identity question went through a detailed process of development and testing. This evaluated three core designs as described in detail in our 2020 publication ‘Sex and gender identity question development for Census 2021’ [2]. As set out in Annex 2 of that report, the testing activities conducted for this topic included:qualitative research involving both trans participants and those whose gender identity is the same as their sex registered at birth (cisgender)quantitative research through five online and multi-modal surveys with a range of respondentsinclusion in the 2019 Census Rehearsal Your questions relating to specific testing within that process are addressed below Participants in qualitative testing in 2017In 2017, we carried out two sets of qualitative testing as part of the development of the gender identity question. In March and April 2017, we carried out exploratory cognitive interviews and focus groups, this testing is referred to as 2017:6 in annex 2 [2] and in the summary of testing for Census 2021 which includes further information [3]. We included cisgender (female and male), transgender, and intersex participants, as well as people with a transgender person in their family. We also made sure we involved people of different ages, education levels, ethnicities, and household types. Transgender participants were recruited through the following sources:Various trans organisations and contacts.Respondents to the ONS’s Opinions and Lifestyle Survey who had given permission for ONS to contact them again for future research.Follow-up contact with volunteers from previous research.Through a request for volunteers with the required characteristics among family, friends, and other contacts of ONS staff (the participants did not include ONS staff themselves). In August and September 2017, we carried out further cognitive interviews with cisgender and transgender participants (2017:15) [2] . Transgender participants were recruited through various trans organisations and follow-up contact with people who had responded to recruitment for the earlier research but weren’t interviewed at that time. Cisgender participants were recruited through the research team’s register of participants in previous research on other topics, who had given permission for ONS to contact them again for future research. The 2019 Census RehearsalThe 2019 Census Rehearsal took place in four local authority areas: Carlisle, Ceredigion, Hackney, and Tower Hamlets. These locations were selected so that we could rehearse in different types of areas. The Rehearsal tested our preparations, our operational processes and systems, our digital platform, our engagement and communications strategies and the Census Coverage Survey, as part of our preparations for Census 2021. It was not designed to collect representative data, but to test, evaluate and gather feedback on our preparations. The overall response rate for this voluntary survey was therefore lower than for Census 2021, particularly for communal establishments such as student halls of residence. The gender identity question was voluntary in Census 2021 and was clearly marked as voluntary in the questionnaire for both the census and the 2019 Rehearsal. In the Rehearsal, 0.3% of respondents aged 16 and over answered ‘No’ to the gender identity question, reporting that their gender identity was different to their sex registered at birth. In Census 2021, 0.5% of respondents answered ‘No’ to the gender identity question; 6% of census respondents gave no answer to the question. Yours sincerely,Professor Sir Ian Diamond [1] https://www.ons.gov.uk/releases/qualityofcensus2021genderidentitydata[2] https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/censustransformationprogramme/questiondevelopment/sexandgenderidentityquestiondevelopmentforcensus2021[3] https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/censustransformationprogramme/questiondevelopment/summaryoftestingforcensus2021UK Statistics Authority  (pdf, 145.5KB)

Death

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government how many excess deaths there have been in England and Wales in each quarter since 1 January 2020; what were the totals in the years (1) 2020, (2) 2021, (3) 2022, and (4) 2023 to date; and what proportion of deaths where COVID-19 is mentioned on the death certificate have been (a) male, and (b) female.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. Please see the letter attached from the National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority. The Baroness HoeyHouse of LordsLondonSW1A 0PW 14 November 2023 Dear Baroness Hoey, As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking how many excess deaths there have been in England and Wales in each quarter since 1 January 2020; what were the totals in the years (1) 2020, (2) 2021, (3) 2022, and (4) 2023 to date; and what proportion of deaths where COVID-19 is mentioned on the death certificate have been (a) male, and (b) female (HL36). The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes statistics on deaths registered in England and Wales. Mortality statistics are compiled from information supplied when deaths are certified and registered as part of civil registration. Table 1 provides information on excess deaths by quarter in England and Wales. It also provides the age-standardised mortality rate (ASMR) by quarter which is a weighted average of the age-specific mortality rate per 100,000 people. This takes into account the population size and age structure which means comparisons between populations that may contain different proportions of people of different ages can be made. Table 2 provides information on deaths involving COVID-19 by sex. Yours sincerely, Professor Sir Ian Diamond Table 1: Number and proportions of excess deaths by quarter, 2020 to 2023 [1] [2] [3]YearQuarterDeathsASMRFive-year average deathsFive-year average ASMRExcess deathsPercentage excess deathsPercentage excess ASMR202011500771045.21519311120.6-1854-1.2-6.7202021831181271.1127709928.95540943.436.820203120456826.9119446855.610100.8-3.3202041542711059.1132992948.82127916.011.6202111806731266.21519311120.62874218.91320212120663836.5127709928.9-7046-5.5-1020213134035914.6119446855.61458912.26.9202141509631019.1132992948.81797113.57.4202211485141013.31569651137.7-8451-5.4-10.920222138818926.3126521905.1122979.72.320223137700902.5122596863.61510412.34.520224152136991.8137332962.21480410.83.12023117137111361582391126.3131328.30.920232139277909.2128234898110438.61.220233128711827.912610986926022.1-4.7Source: Office for National Statistics Table 2: Number and proportions of deaths involving COVID-19 by quarter, 2020 to 2023 [1] [2] [3] [4]YearQuarterDeathsMale (Deaths)Female (Deaths)Male (%)Female (%)202011734105468060.839.22020248580266382194254.845.22020327701552121856442020428711160031270855.744.32021156418298362658252.947.12021226701567110358.741.32021376964504319258.541.520214109436392455158.441.620221128757186568955.844.22022283694472389753.446.62022367563648310854462022463443394295053.546.52023179784118386051.648.42023242462355189155.544.5202332053124181260.439.6Source: Office for National Statistics [1] Figures are for deaths registered, rather than deaths occurring, in each period.[2] Figures include deaths of non-residents.[3] Figures for 2023 are based on provisional data.[4] The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Edition (ICD-10) codes for COVID-19 are U07.1, U07.2, U09.9, U10.9 UK Statistics Authority  (pdf, 139.7KB)

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits: Children

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask His Majesty's Government why, from the next release of the benefit cap statistics, information on the youngest child in capped households will be suspended; and whether they propose to resume publication of those data in later releases.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Department advised users on GOV.UK on 7 November 2023, that information on the age of youngest child for capped Housing Benefit households will be suspended from the next release of Benefit Cap statistics (due to be published on 12 December 2023). This is due to an issue with the quality of the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) statistical Child Benefit data, which is currently being investigated. We will reinstate the breakdown in the statistical series as soon as possible, in line with the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) Code of Practice for Statistics. In May 2023, 91% of capped households were on Universal Credit (UC) and are not affected by this issue. The statistics for the age of youngest child in UC capped households will be published as normal on 12 December 2023.

Social Security Benefits: Fraud

Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: To ask His Majesty's Government howmany staff were employed in (1) 2021, (2) 2022, and (3) 2023, in roles which target fraud, error and debt across the benefit system.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: Everyone in DWP has a role to play in stopping fraud and error. In recent Spending Rounds we secured additional funding enabling us to enhance our counter-fraud and error capabilities including a new Targeted Case Review (TCR) team to review millions of Universal Credit claims, as well as recruitment into our Counter Fraud & Compliance Directorate (CFCD). We are continuing to create a culture where stopping fraud and error and minimising debt is a shared goal of everyone in DWP and those who deliver services for us. All staff will understand the part they play within DWP, and they will have the knowledge, skills and tools they need to deliver.  Oct-21Oct-22Oct-23CFCD/TCR staffing7,4109,24010,260 Source: Derived from the Department’s Activity Based Model (ABM). Notes:Data is drawn at the end of each month. Data is correct as of the end of October in 2021, 2022 and 2023 and has been rounded to the nearest 10.Figures were derived from the Department’s Activity Based Model (ABM), which provides Full Time Equivalent (FTE) figures based on point in time estimate by Line Managers. They cover only FTE of staff with paid employment. No overtime FTE is included.The number of Fraud, Error and Debt staff is unpublished management information, collected and intended for internal department use and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics standard.

Treasury

Aviation: Taxation

Lord Deben: To ask His Majesty's Government whattax is levied on private commercial flights (1) taking off, or (2) landing, in the UK.

Lord Deben: To ask His Majesty's Government how many private flights (1) took off, and (2) landed, in the UK in the most recent year for which figures are complete; and how much tax did those flights incur.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Data on receipts from Air Passenger Duty (APD) and chargeable passengers, including for the higher rate, can be found in the APD Bulletin on GOV.UK. [1] Data on aircraft movements, including for business aviation and air taxis, are published by the Civil Aviation Authority. [2] These data are not collected from all UK airports, just those handling scheduled and major charter services, and so provide only a partial picture. APD is the Government’s principal tax on the aviation sector, since tickets are VAT free and aviation fuel incurs no duty. APD is paid by aircraft operators on a per passenger basis for flights departing UK airports; there are different rates according to a passenger's class of travel and the distance of their journey. Operators with aircraft of over 20 tonnes equipped to carry fewer than 19 passengers must pay the higher rate of APD, equal to £78 per passenger for domestic and short-haul flights and rising to £601 for ultra-long-haul flights. These private and business jets generally provide a higher class of service and so incur more in APD. As with all taxes, the Government keeps APD under review and any changes are announced by the Chancellor at fiscal events. [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/air-passenger-duty-bulletin [2] https://www.caa.co.uk/Documents/Download/9116/47a460b2-0592-4ef7-b24b-aa5e27ccfce4/5623

Reclaim Fund

Lord Young of Cookham: To ask His Majesty's Government how much moneyhas been paid out to claimants by The Reclaim Fund in each of the past five years, following enactment of the Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Reclaim Fund Ltd (RFL) has distributed the following amounts in each of the past five years to dormant account owners: Year20172018201920202021/222022/23Reclaims (£m)15.713.912.912.915.415.3In line with its statutory obligation, RFL continues to meet customer reclaims in perpetuity. Reclaim rates have remained broadly consistent since the inception of the Dormant Assets Scheme in 2011.

Food: Prices

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that food inflation is set to reduce next year; and what assessment they have made of the impact this will have on consumers following the increased cost of living.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: His Majesty’s Government is encouraged by reports that food inflation is expected to be lower next year than this year. This will benefit consumers and help with the cost of living.

Training: Tax Allowances

Lord Allen of Kensington: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to regularise the treatment of training expenses against profits subject to Schedule D income tax and profits subject to corporation tax.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: In calculating taxable business profits, expenditure on training to update existing skills would be a deductible business expense when the expenditure is incurred wholly and exclusively for the purposes of the business and is not capital in nature. The treatment of these training expenses is the same irrespective of whether the taxpayer pays income tax or corporation tax. Any changes to tax policy are a matter for future Budgets and it would not be appropriate to comment on tax measures at this stage of the policy development cycle.

Electric Vehicles: VAT

Lord Deben: To ask His Majesty's Government whatis the annual amount to date received in value added tax from electric vehicles using public charging points.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The information is not available. HM Revenue and Customs does not hold information on VAT revenue from specific products or services, including VAT on public electric vehicle charging points. This is because businesses are not required to provide figures at a product level within their VAT returns, as this would impose an excessive administrative burden.

Gift Aid

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock: To ask His Majesty's Government, further tothe gift aid review launched in their policy paper Summary of tax administration and maintenance: Spring 2023, published on 27 April, how many meetings they have had with charities in the past six months as part of that review.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: As part of the Government’s review of the administration of Gift Aid processes, and to fully understand the current Gift Aid Service and associated processes and challenges, HMRC has conducted in-depth research interviews with officials responsible for Gift Aid from 17 charities across the country, ranging in size from micro to large. These represented charities across a range of different sectors and included some that claim Gift Aid, don’t claim or partially claim, to help understand the reasons, challenges and needs. HMRC also conducted internal user research with members of its charities operations team to understand the challenges and to inform its research with charity officials. Prior to the announcement, HMRC met with 6 charity officials responsible for Gift Aid at their respective charities to test changes to the charities online service. This followed research conducted with 5 charities in November 2022. In total, there have been 28 research sessions with distinct, individual charities, and two sector meetings. 18 of these meetings have been in the past 6 months, with the remaining 12 having happened in the past 12 months. This review of existing processes and research into challenges and possible improvements is still ongoing.

Gift Aid

Lord Foulkes of Cumnock: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the gift aid review launched in their policy paper Summary of tax administration and maintenance: Spring 2023, published on 27 April, what progress they have made so far in that review.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government is undertaking a review of the administration of Gift Aid. It is considering areas for improvements suggested by representatives of charities. Since the announcement HMRC has undertaken analysis of its systems that administer Gift Aid and also undertaken research on charities use of Gift Aid. HMRC has not completed this review of existing processes and research into challenges and possible improvements.HMRC works closely and regularly with representatives from across the charity sector reviewing Gift Aid, as well as raising awareness amongst donors. It places a high priority on this collaborative work and is always interested in ideas to improve the administration, take-up and awareness of Gift Aid.

Banks: Pay

Baroness O'Grady of Upper Holloway: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the announcement by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer on 23 September 2022 to remove the cap on bankers' bonuses (HC Deb col 936), what consideration they have given to curbing any risk-taking in the financial sector which may occur as a result of the removal of that cap; and further to the finding in the High Pay Centre report Analysis of UK CEO Pay in 2022, published in August, that FTSE 100 CEO pay rose by 16 per cent in 2022, what consideration they have given to curbing the pay of senior staff in the financial sector, including by implementing the then Prime Minister's plans for the reform of boardroom governance in July 2016 by ensuring worker representation in boardrooms.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: As the Chancellor set out in the Edinburgh Reforms last year, the government remains committed to high standards and to a robust regulatory environment that safeguards the UK’s financial stability. The PRA and FCA, who are responsible for rules on remuneration, are operationally independent from government and have statutory objectives to promote safety, soundness, and effective market functioning. The removal of the bonus cap is entirely a decision by the independent regulators.

Exports: VAT

Lord Allen of Kensington: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the withdrawal of the VAT Retail Export Scheme; and if they have any plans to reintroduce the scheme.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government’s assessment of the anticipated impact of the withdrawal of the VAT Retail Export Scheme (VAT RES) was set out in the original policy costing note which can be found in the Policy costings document from November 2020 p42-43.Government analysis conducted in 2022 found that introducing a worldwide scheme could come at a fiscal cost of around £2 billion each year. This figure consists of the cost from EU and non-EU visitors and is calculated based on methodology signed off and certified by the OBR in 2020.Whilst there are no current plans to re-introduce VAT RES, this Government keeps all tax policy under review, and we are very grateful to industry for their contribution to our invitation to provide evidence on this matter.

Funerals: Pre-Payment

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask His Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of pre-paid funeral plan customers who lost the money they had invested prior to the sector becoming fully regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in July 2022.

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask His Majesty's Government what action they took in respect of Safe Hands Funeral Plans following concerns raised in 2017 by Fairer Finance and the Funeral Planning Authority.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The government recognises the difficulty and challenges facing those who have lost money because their funeral plan providers have been shown to be unable to fulfil the promises they made to their customers. In January 2021, the government legislated to bring all pre-paid funeral plan providers and intermediaries within the regulatory remit of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) from 29 July 2022. This has ensured that 1.6 million funeral plan customers are, for the first time, protected by compulsory and robust regulation. The two largest providers that have gone into administration since the government legislated are Safe Hands, with approximately 46,000 customers and One Life, with approximately 14,000 customers. We also understand that some smaller providers have entered administration. During a wide-ranging meeting with industry in July 2017 to discuss pre-paid funeral plans, some concerns about Safe Hands funeral plans were raised with HM Treasury. In response, officials advised that such concerns should be reported to the FCA, reflecting the fact that HM Treasury has no investigatory or enforcement powers of its own.

VAT: Registration

Lord Allen of Kensington: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase the threshold for compulsory registration for VAT; and what plans they have to reinstate the policy of annually updating the threshold in line with inflation.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Views on the VAT registration threshold are divided and the case for change has been regularly reviewed over the years.In 2018, the Government consulted on how the design of the VAT registration threshold could better incentivise growth. However, there was no clear option for reform.While the Government keeps all taxes under review, it was announced at Autumn Budget 2022 that the VAT threshold will be maintained at its current level of £85,000 until 31 March 2026.

Ministry of Justice

Schools: Transport

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask His Majesty's Government what official regulatory requirements must be met and demonstrated before an organisation can operate secure transportation services for children and young people.

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that businesses that wish to establish secure transportation services for children and young people have in place behavioural management policies that set out (1) how children and young people’s human rights can be protected; (2) the conditions for the use of restraint during transportation; and (3) the official reporting procedures that are in place in case of restraint being used.

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that practitioners involved in the transportation of children and young people have access to (1) training, (2) supervision, (3) support, and (4) reporting procedures, to assist them in reducing the use of restraint during transportation.

Lord Bellamy: The most recent Prisoner Escort and Custody Services (PECS) procurement process, which covers securely moving both adults and children, commenced in August 2020 and runs for ten years. This contract covers a range of services including secure transportation between prisons, police stations and other named places of detention and courts as well as transportation of prisoners between prison establishments and includes transition moves from the youth to adult estate. The Criminal Justice Act 1991 (as amended) and section 12 and Schedule 2 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 as amended by the 2007 offender management act, covers staffing requirements for moving children. All suppliers must demonstrate their technical and professional ability to deliver services, including compliance with the Equality Act 2010, as well as a sound economic and financial standing during any procurement process. Requirements for the supplier to implement behavioural management policies are included within the PECS contract outlines and cover Human rights, where use of restraint may be applicable and a requirement that any use is reported. There is an expectation that mechanical restraints would not be routinely used for children unless a risk assessment confirms they are necessary. The PECS suppliers are required to adhere to Prison Service Instructions covering the use of restraint, and their Standard Operating Procedures, training and supervision will be structured around these policy documents. Further to this the PECS contract requires suppliers to have a programme of development and refresher training for their staff which includes training for dealing with young people. Suppliers are also required to review any use of force and ensure that any appropriate lessons are learned, shared and implemented.

Remand in Custody: Women

Lord Bradley: To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of women remanded into custody in each of the past five years subsequently received nosentence.

Lord Bellamy: The Ministry of Justice holds data on sentence outcomes and custodial sentence lengths after being remanded in custody. Data for the last five years is publicly available and can be viewed in remands data tool, available via the following link: Criminal Justice System statistics quarterly: December 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).To view data relating to cases completed at magistrates’ courts, navigate to the ‘Magistrates’ Courts’ tab. To view data relating to cases completed at Crown courts, navigate to the ‘Crown Courts’ tab.  To select data for cases where the defendant is known to be female, ’01: Female’ should be selected within the Sex filter. To see data for cases where the female is aged over 18, select ‘02: Young adults’ and ’03: Adults’ in the Age group filter. To view those remanded in custody, ’03: Custody’ should be selected within the Remand status at magistrates’ court and Remand status at the Crown Court filters on the appropriate tabs.Table 1: Proportion of women issued a custodial sentence, community sentence, other sentence, or no sentence, after being remanded in custody, in cases completed at all courts in England and Wales, between 2018 and 2022 (Note 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) Outcome20182019202020212022Immediate custody50%50%49%47%44%Community sentence9%10%8%9%9%Other18%17%19%18%20%No sentence23%23%24%26%28%Source: Court Proceedings Database Table 2: Proportion of women issued a custodial sentence after being remanded in custody, by custodial sentence length, in cases completed at all courts in England and Wales, between 2018 and 2022. (Note 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) Custodial sentence length201820192020202120221 year and over24%26%26%28%27%6 months and up to 1 year5%5%5%5%5%Over 3 months and up to 6 months5%5%6%4%4%Over 1 month and up to and including 3 months9%8%8%6%5%Up to and including 1 month7%6%5%4%3%N/A (received other sentence type or not sentenced)50%50%51%53%56%Source: Court Proceedings Database Notes: 1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.2) The figures given in the table relate to defendants for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.3) Defendants are reported against their principal (i.e. most serious) remand status. Court custody includes those remanded in custody at any stage of proceedings who may also have been given bail or not remanded at some stage of those proceedings.4) 'To obtain percentages for cases completed at both magistrates' and Crown courts, cases where a defendant has failed to appear to their hearing have been excluded from the totals. This can be replicated within the remand tool, by deselecting '01: Failure to appear' in the Outcome filter within the Magistrates' Court tab.5) Defendants proceeded against at magistrates’ courts and subsequently committed to the Crown Court will have separate remand decisions made in both courts and will be included in both totals. To avoid duplication of figures, those committed to trial/sentence at Crown court following a hearing at magistrates' courts have been removed from the totals. This can be replicated within the remand tool, by deselecting '03: Committed to Crown Court for trial/sentencing' in the Outcome filters within the Magistrates' Court and Crown Courts tabs.6) Please note, an issue we are currently investigating is the high proportion of unknown remand status at Crown Court – early findings suggest that these cases are split broadly proportionally (to offence breakdowns) across those remanded at custody and those granted bail. In 2022, 24% of defendants remanded at Crown Court had unknown remand status. We are working on a solution to fill in those unknown remand statuses with the actual status. Due to this, the figures presented only includes data for those where remand status is known.7) The figures given in the table relate to those where sex is known to be female and age is known to be 18 or over.8) An outcome of 'no sentence' includes cases where proceedings are discontinued, withdrawn, dismissed, or discharged Sec 6 at magistrates' courts, and not tried or acquitted at Crown Court.9) The figures given in the table under outcome 'Other' relate to cases where the offender has been received a suspended sentence, absolute/conditional discharge, sentenced to pay a fine or compensation, or has been otherwise dealt with.

Remand in Custody: Women

Lord Bradley: To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of women remanded into custody in each of the past five years subsequently received a custodial sentence of(1) one year and over, (2) six months to one year, (3) three to six months, (4) one to three months, and (5) less than one month.

Lord Bellamy: The Ministry of Justice holds data on sentence outcomes and custodial sentence lengths after being remanded in custody. Data for the last five years is publicly available and can be viewed in remands data tool, available via the following link: Criminal Justice System statistics quarterly: December 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).To view data relating to cases completed at magistrates’ courts, navigate to the ‘Magistrates’ Courts’ tab. To view data relating to cases completed at Crown courts, navigate to the ‘Crown Courts’ tab.  To select data for cases where the defendant is known to be female, ’01: Female’ should be selected within the Sex filter. To see data for cases where the female is aged over 18, select ‘02: Young adults’ and ’03: Adults’ in the Age group filter. To view those remanded in custody, ’03: Custody’ should be selected within the Remand status at magistrates’ court and Remand status at the Crown Court filters on the appropriate tabs.Table 1: Proportion of women issued a custodial sentence, community sentence, other sentence, or no sentence, after being remanded in custody, in cases completed at all courts in England and Wales, between 2018 and 2022 (Note 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) Outcome20182019202020212022Immediate custody50%50%49%47%44%Community sentence9%10%8%9%9%Other18%17%19%18%20%No sentence23%23%24%26%28%Source: Court Proceedings Database Table 2: Proportion of women issued a custodial sentence after being remanded in custody, by custodial sentence length, in cases completed at all courts in England and Wales, between 2018 and 2022. (Note 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) Custodial sentence length201820192020202120221 year and over24%26%26%28%27%6 months and up to 1 year5%5%5%5%5%Over 3 months and up to 6 months5%5%6%4%4%Over 1 month and up to and including 3 months9%8%8%6%5%Up to and including 1 month7%6%5%4%3%N/A (received other sentence type or not sentenced)50%50%51%53%56%Source: Court Proceedings Database Notes: 1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.2) The figures given in the table relate to defendants for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.3) Defendants are reported against their principal (i.e. most serious) remand status. Court custody includes those remanded in custody at any stage of proceedings who may also have been given bail or not remanded at some stage of those proceedings.4) 'To obtain percentages for cases completed at both magistrates' and Crown courts, cases where a defendant has failed to appear to their hearing have been excluded from the totals. This can be replicated within the remand tool, by deselecting '01: Failure to appear' in the Outcome filter within the Magistrates' Court tab.5) Defendants proceeded against at magistrates’ courts and subsequently committed to the Crown Court will have separate remand decisions made in both courts and will be included in both totals. To avoid duplication of figures, those committed to trial/sentence at Crown court following a hearing at magistrates' courts have been removed from the totals. This can be replicated within the remand tool, by deselecting '03: Committed to Crown Court for trial/sentencing' in the Outcome filters within the Magistrates' Court and Crown Courts tabs.6) Please note, an issue we are currently investigating is the high proportion of unknown remand status at Crown Court – early findings suggest that these cases are split broadly proportionally (to offence breakdowns) across those remanded at custody and those granted bail. In 2022, 24% of defendants remanded at Crown Court had unknown remand status. We are working on a solution to fill in those unknown remand statuses with the actual status. Due to this, the figures presented only includes data for those where remand status is known.7) The figures given in the table relate to those where sex is known to be female and age is known to be 18 or over.8) An outcome of 'no sentence' includes cases where proceedings are discontinued, withdrawn, dismissed, or discharged Sec 6 at magistrates' courts, and not tried or acquitted at Crown Court.9) The figures given in the table under outcome 'Other' relate to cases where the offender has been received a suspended sentence, absolute/conditional discharge, sentenced to pay a fine or compensation, or has been otherwise dealt with.

Remand in Custody: Women

Lord Bradley: To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of women remanded into custody in each of the past five years were subsequently sentenced to (1) a community sentence, and (2) a prison sentence.

Lord Bellamy: The Ministry of Justice holds data on sentence outcomes and custodial sentence lengths after being remanded in custody. Data for the last five years is publicly available and can be viewed in remands data tool, available via the following link: Criminal Justice System statistics quarterly: December 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).To view data relating to cases completed at magistrates’ courts, navigate to the ‘Magistrates’ Courts’ tab. To view data relating to cases completed at Crown courts, navigate to the ‘Crown Courts’ tab.  To select data for cases where the defendant is known to be female, ’01: Female’ should be selected within the Sex filter. To see data for cases where the female is aged over 18, select ‘02: Young adults’ and ’03: Adults’ in the Age group filter. To view those remanded in custody, ’03: Custody’ should be selected within the Remand status at magistrates’ court and Remand status at the Crown Court filters on the appropriate tabs.Table 1: Proportion of women issued a custodial sentence, community sentence, other sentence, or no sentence, after being remanded in custody, in cases completed at all courts in England and Wales, between 2018 and 2022 (Note 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) Outcome20182019202020212022Immediate custody50%50%49%47%44%Community sentence9%10%8%9%9%Other18%17%19%18%20%No sentence23%23%24%26%28%Source: Court Proceedings Database Table 2: Proportion of women issued a custodial sentence after being remanded in custody, by custodial sentence length, in cases completed at all courts in England and Wales, between 2018 and 2022. (Note 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) Custodial sentence length201820192020202120221 year and over24%26%26%28%27%6 months and up to 1 year5%5%5%5%5%Over 3 months and up to 6 months5%5%6%4%4%Over 1 month and up to and including 3 months9%8%8%6%5%Up to and including 1 month7%6%5%4%3%N/A (received other sentence type or not sentenced)50%50%51%53%56%Source: Court Proceedings Database Notes:1) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.2) The figures given in the table relate to defendants for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.3) Defendants are reported against their principal (i.e. most serious) remand status. Court custody includes those remanded in custody at any stage of proceedings who may also have been given bail or not remanded at some stage of those proceedings.4) 'To obtain percentages for cases completed at both magistrates' and Crown courts, cases where a defendant has failed to appear to their hearing have been excluded from the totals. This can be replicated within the remand tool, by deselecting '01: Failure to appear' in the Outcome filter within the Magistrates' Court tab.5) Defendants proceeded against at magistrates’ courts and subsequently committed to the Crown Court will have separate remand decisions made in both courts and will be included in both totals. To avoid duplication of figures, those committed to trial/sentence at Crown court following a hearing at magistrates' courts have been removed from the totals. This can be replicated within the remand tool, by deselecting '03: Committed to Crown Court for trial/sentencing' in the Outcome filters within the Magistrates' Court and Crown Courts tabs.6) Please note, an issue we are currently investigating is the high proportion of unknown remand status at Crown Court – early findings suggest that these cases are split broadly proportionally (to offence breakdowns) across those remanded at custody and those granted bail. In 2022, 24% of defendants remanded at Crown Court had unknown remand status. We are working on a solution to fill in those unknown remand statuses with the actual status. Due to this, the figures presented only includes data for those where remand status is known.7) The figures given in the table relate to those where sex is known to be female and age is known to be 18 or over.8) An outcome of 'no sentence' includes cases where proceedings are discontinued, withdrawn, dismissed, or discharged Sec 6 at magistrates' courts, and not tried or acquitted at Crown Court.9) The figures given in the table under outcome 'Other' relate to cases where the offender has been received a suspended sentence, absolute/conditional discharge, sentenced to pay a fine or compensation, or has been otherwise dealt with.

Department for Transport

Electric Vehicles: Licensing

Baroness Randerson: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Motorcycle Industry Association and Zemo Partnership reportRealising the Full Potential of Zero Emission Powered Light Vehicles: A Joint Action Plan for Governmentand Industry — The Route to Net Zero, published in February 2022, what steps they are taking to reform the licencing regime for powered light vehicles, as set out in action six of that report.

Lord Davies of Gower: The Government is open to discussing ideas for reform of the existing licensing regime for powered light vehicles known as L category vehicles where they do not compromise safety standards. The Government intends to engage with the Motorcycle Industry Association in the coming weeks to discuss and consider how they align with existing work and planning linked to licencing reform.

Railways: North of England

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Northern Powerhouse rail proposals, whether the proposed new route alignment between Bradford and Huddersfield involves tunnelling; and, if so, what proportion of the route will be tunnelled.

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Northern Powerhouse rail proposals, what proportion of the proposed new route alignment between Huddersfield and Manchester will involve tunnelling.

Lord Davies of Gower: The government is working closely with Network Rail to develop and programme the delivery of specific schemes announced by Network North. Further development work will confirm the preferred route between Bradford, Huddersfield and Manchester. Options that have been considered to date do not involve tunnelling between Bradford and Huddersfield. Information will be shared once this work is more mature.

Railway Stations: Bradford

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: To ask His Majesty's Government, further tothe Northern Powerhouse rail proposals, whetherthe new Bradford railway station will replace Bradford Interchange and Bradford Forster Square, or just Bradford Interchange.

Lord Davies of Gower: It is the government’s current intention that the new station at Bradford, would likely replace Bradford Interchange to provide improved transport links to Bradford City Centre. This investment will support Bradford to unlock further economic potential, supporting wider regeneration in the city. The government is working closely with Network Rail and Bradford City Council to assess potential station options and locations. Further information will be shared when this work is more mature.

Home Office

Asylum: Biometrics

Baroness Hamwee: To ask His Majesty's Government whatestimate they have made of the cost of using (1) X-rays, (2) magnetic resonance imaging, and (3) any other scientific methods, as provided for by the Illegal Migration Act 2023 and the Nationality and Borders Act 2022.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Home Office does not yet hold this information. Work is ongoing to determine the level and type of capacity required to support the imaging service.

RSPCA: Private Prosecutions

Lord Blencathra: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the comments made by Judge Peter Veits in Lincolnshire Magistrates Court that the RSPCA had acted unlawfully in the initiation of the prosecution of a farmer,whether they intendto investigate the role of the RSPCA in bringing forward criminal prosecutions; and whether they plan to instruct police to conduct their own independent investigations.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: Although the vast majority of farmed animal related welfare cases are prosecuted by the Local Authority, the Animal Welfare Act 2006 enables prosecutions to be taken by concerned individuals or bodies such as the RSPCA and we have no plans currently to amend.Chief Constables are operationally independent, and it is for them take decisions on enforcement action and prosecutions.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Water Supply: Surrey

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the restoration of water supply in areas of Surreyleft without water followingStorm Ciarán;and to ensure that the impact of similar future incidents is minimised.

Lord Benyon: During 4 and 5 November, the effects of Storm Ciarán caused Thames Water’s Shalford Water Treatment Works in Guildford to shut down. Approximately 20,000 properties in Guildford had their water supply disrupted. Most properties were back on supply on 8 November and mains water supply has now been restored to all impacted properties. Defra officials were in close contact with Thames Water throughout the incident to ensure appropriate support was provided to impacted customers. This included the opening of three bottled water stations, and regular deliveries to vulnerable customers. On 9 November Defra’s Environment Minister, Rebecca Pow, spoke with Cathryn Ross, joint CEO Thames Water, to discuss lessons and seek assurances that further mitigations will be implemented to avoid future incidents. This was followed up with a further conversation on Tuesday Nov 14. Thames Water is also producing a detailed report for the Drinking Water Inspectorate, who will undertake a full assessment. Ensuring water companies have strong levels of resilience is a Government priority, as set out in our Plan for Water published in April 2023. Earlier this year, regional water resources groups and water companies, including Thames Water, consulted on their draft Water Resource Management Plans. Within their plans, water companies must consider all options, including demand management and water resources infrastructure for at least the next 25 years. Water companies are also using the £469 million made available by Ofwat in the current Price Review period (2020-2025) to investigate strategic water resources options, which are required to improve the resilience of England’s water supplies. Ofwat also recently announced that water companies are bringing forward £2.2 billion for new water infrastructure delivery, over the next two years, with £350 million worth of investment in water resilience schemes. Thames Water has committed to invest in building a new 9km water transfer pipeline to connect parts of the Guildford area to an alternative source of water. Works are scheduled to start in early 2024. The Government and regulators will continue to closely monitor Thames Water’s performance and will not hesitate to hold them to account if they fall short.

Department for Education

Schools: HIV Infection

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are planning to introduce any measures to include HIV education as a part of the school curriculum in order to promote understanding about HIV and tackle stigma among children; and, if so, what are their plans.

Baroness Barran: In September 2020 the government made Relationships Education compulsory for primary school pupils, Relationships and Sex Education compulsory for secondary school pupils and Health Education compulsory for all pupils in state-funded schools.In secondary schools, the Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) statutory guidance states that pupils should be taught factual knowledge around sex, sexual health, and sexuality, set firmly within the context of relationships. Pupils should learn about contraception, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), developing intimate relationships and resisting pressure to have sex. Further information and a link to the guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/relationships-education-relationships-and-sex-education-rse-and-health-education.To support teachers to deliver these topics safely and with confidence, the department has produced RSHE Teacher Training Modules. The ‘intimate and sexual relationships, including sexual health’ topic specifies that by the end of secondary school, pupils should know how the different STIs, including HIV/AIDS, are transmitted, how risk can be reduced through safer sex and the importance of and facts about testing. Pupils are also taught about HIV/AIDS at Key Stages 3 and 4 of the science curriculum. Further information and a link to the training modules can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/teaching-about-relationships-sex-and-health.From primary education onwards, age appropriate Relationships Education supports pupils to treat each other with kindness, consideration and respect, including understanding the importance of respectful relationships and the different types of loving and healthy relationships that exist.The department will be launching a public consultation by the end of this year on a draft revised RSHE guidance, so that interested parties can contribute their comments and ideas, including on sexual health and STIs, including HIV/AIDS education. The department will carefully consider responses received and intends to publish the final guidance in 2024.

Pupils: Absenteeism

Lord Laming: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Children's Commissioner reportMissing Children, Missing Grades, published on 2 November; and what steps they are taking in response.

Baroness Barran: Improving attendance is one of the department’s priorities. The report provides vital insight into the relationship between attendance and attainment. The recommendations echo the department’s ‘support first' approach to attendance and its goal to make attendance everyone's business. In response, the department continues to implement its comprehensive plan to address the issue.The department has published guidance encouraging all schools and local authorities to adopt the practices of the most effective schools. All schools are now expected to publish an attendance policy and appoint an attendance champion. Local authorities are expected to meet termly with schools to agree individual plans for at risk children. 86% of schools subscribe to the department’s attendance data tool to spot at risk pupils. The department’s attendance hubs now support 800 schools benefiting over 400,000 pupils.These measures are in addition to the implementation of the special educational needs and disability (SEND) reforms which will ensure that children with SEND receive high quality, early support in attending school wherever they live in England.The department’s approach is starting to turn the tide, with recent data showing there were 380,000 fewer pupils who were persistently absent from or not attending school in the 2022/23 academic year compared to 2021/22, but absence levels remain too high.

Apprentices: Employment Agencies

Baroness Harris of Richmond: To ask His Majesty's Government whatplans they have to support flexi-job agencies for apprenticeships, particularly for SME employers in rural areas and regions.

Baroness Harris of Richmond: To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given toallowing local authorities to become flexi-job apprenticeship agencies.

Baroness Harris of Richmond: To ask His Majesty's Government whetherthere are any restrictions on a Mayoral Combined Authority being a flexi-job apprenticeship agency.

Baroness Barran: The department is supporting sectors with short-term project-based work through flexi-Job apprenticeship agencies, which have so far allowed 1,000 apprentices to work with different host employers, and on a range of projects, to gain the skills and knowledge needed to be successful in their chosen field.As of October 2023, there are 45 flexi-job agencies supporting the delivery of apprenticeships in sectors such as creative, construction, agriculture and digital, across every region in England. The current register of flexi-job agencies can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/flexi-job-apprenticeships/flexi-job-apprenticeship-agencies.Organisations such as mayoral combined authorities and local authorities will be able to apply to become a flexi-job agency if they can successfully meet the conditions of registration. The department will share details of any plans to re-open the register in due course. The conditions of registration can be found attached.HL30_HL31_HL32_pdf (pdf, 176.3KB)

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Fossil Fuels: Storage

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the environmental impact of the planned redevelopment of Cloghan Point oil terminal into a storage and distribution hub for all forms of fossil fuels for Northern Ireland and beyond, including the impact on the UK's carbon emissions.

Lord Callanan: This is a devolved matter. Environmental assessments of projects in Northern Ireland are carried out by the NI Environment Agency.